Tricks and Treats
by FLASOK
Summary: Toph had assured her the party would be fun and, despite Katara’s many arguments that they shouldn’t go to a party whose host they’d never even met before, she agreed in the end for one reason...Aang will be there. MODERN DAY 8D KATAANG OF COURSE! R


**A/N- Random Halloween story. Enjoy and R&R. XDDDDDDD**

A Star Princess stood outside the huge house on the sidewalk apprehensively, wondering if she should follow her friend inside. She didn't even know the person who was holding this party, and yet, here she was, dressed in her costume and standing right in the front yard. She shifted her weight nervously and straightened her skirt, making sure the white ruffles weren't wrinkled and the blue strips of fabric flowing down the front stayed centered. Of course, her efforts were in vain. She was just trying to make her stomach stop doing uncomfortable flip-flops.

Toph had assured her the party would be fun and, despite Katara's many arguments that they shouldn't go to a party whose host they'd never even met before, she agreed in the end for one reason; her friend had used the four words that she just couldn't seem to resist.

_Aang will be there._

She mentally kicked herself for her decision because now she looked awkward just standing there, and the plastic flamingos were staring at her making her feel even more uncomfortable. She could tell coming and going guests were giving her funny looks too.

She saw two skeletons walked by her with cups of punch in their gloved hands. Probably spiked because they were stumbling around and trying to scare people noisily. She grimaced as she got an impression of what must be going on inside; drunk, and loud teenagers running around, wreaking havoc. That wasn't exactly her idea of fun while it might be someone else's idea of a _crazy_ night.

She also couldn't believe that Aang, sweet, sensitive, shy Aang, would be attending a party like this. He wasn't like the other guys at school, which was why she liked him so much. It was possible that he had a side she had never seen before, but this was beside the point. The Aang _she_ knew would be as far away from this place as possible.

She heard someone wolf whistle from behind and she froze, blushing madly, not daring to turn around and look at the guy who it'd come from, fearing that would encourage him to go on. She heard him make a few more inappropriate comments from behind and she stood still, trying to ignore him desperately. She should just run and get out of here while she still had her dignity which was quickly disappearing with each comment made.

"Katara! You coming or what?" Toph's voice yelled from the threshold. Katara looked at her friend who was dressed as a vampire, complete with little black wings attached to the back with red veins coursing through the midnight fabric. Her hair was pinned up and all over the place in a stylish way and her skirt was fashionably torn, the strips of stretchy costume material fluttering in the cool, light breeze as she waited for an answer from her.

Katara heard the guy behind her laugh with his friends about something else he'd said and she quickly rushed up the front walk up to her friend without a second thought, wanting nothing more than to get away from the creeper behind her.

"Jet giving you trouble?" Toph asked when she reached the door, the fake vampire tooth caps she'd applied to her two top incisors visible as she spoke.

Katara stared inquisitively at her friend.

"That was Jet?" she asked. She hadn't even noticed it was him and wondered why she hadn't recognized his voice right away.

"Yeah! Though, I guess you couldn't tell it was him…he was wearing a mask and all so his voice was muffled." Toph said with a shrug.

"Well, if he was wearing a mask, how did YOU know it was him?"

Toph snorted as if the answer was obvious.

"Please…I can spot that jerk a continent away. That and he wouldn't stop talking about how he was going to wear this supposedly sick mask on the night of the party in Math." she replied with a snicker before she stepped inside the house, Katara following close behind, looking from side to side cautiously.

It turned out she'd been right about the party. Loud, drunk teenagers stumbled around the house, giggling madly and sipping more spiked punch. Katara tried her best to ignore them as she looked for the reason she had agreed to come to this thing in the first place. The farther into the house she got, the more out of place she felt. What was she thinking? She didn't belong here with these people.

She also didn't know how she would find Aang; he was most likely wearing costume.

_He'll probably be the only one who isn't hammered,_ she thought to herself with an inward chuckle.

"Look for the guy in the Fairy Princess outfit. That's Twinkle Toes." Toph teased from beside her. She almost had to yell because the room was practically pulsing with the beat of the music that was playing and everyone was making copious amounts of noise.

Katara glared at her friend, who was now laughing at her own joke, through the eyeholes of the black mask that covered the area around her eyes. It was part of her Star Princess Masquerade costume that had come from Phantom of the Opera. She'd found it online a few days previous and decided that was what she wanted to be for Halloween this year. It had been intended to serve as her costume for the party (and to give Aang an eyeful), but she was starting to wish she'd just gone Trick-or-Treating this year, just like she used to. Forget the fact she was a freshman in high school, it was better than hanging around a bunch of drunken teenagers who couldn't even walk straight.

She weaved through the party goers, her eyes searching for a medium height, dark-brown haired, grey eyed guy, but not having much luck. What if he was wearing a mask? She groaned as she realized that it would be nearly impossible to find him here if that was true. Then froze as she realized something.

There was a possibility that Aang wasn't even here. Toph could've just said that to trick her into coming and once they got there, she'd never know that she'd lied to her because there were so many people at the party.

Katara clenched her jaw in anger and whirled around to face her friend only to find that the vampire had fled the scene.

_Because she knows she's guilty,_ Katara thought irritably to herself. With a sigh, she squeezed her way over to the living room, pushed a plastic skeleton off the couch, and sat down, already bored. There was no point in leaving since Toph was her ride home. She didn't think Toph's limo driver would take her anywhere unless she paid him.

She could walk home, but it was a long way and she was wearing high heels.

_Well, _she thought to herself_, I might as well try and have fun while I'm stuck here. _

OOOOO

As it got later, the party got creepier. More people had squeezed their way into the crowded house and it was dark, the only source of light being glow sticks. The glow stick thing had been someone's "genius" idea and another had turned off all the lights in the house.

Katara was still sitting on the couch, legs pulled up to her chest to try and make the uneasiness go away. She hadn't seen Aang, or Toph for that matter, just some weird freaks in twisted clown masks, skeleton masks, one in a Spongebob suit (the dork), a wrinkly old guy mask, a gory, rotting flesh mask, and countless other costumes that she couldn't remember. She swore she even saw a gorilla walking around somewhere.

Her stomach growled and she jumped, not realizing she had been so hungry, because she'd been too busy trying not to freak out to notice. She decided to go find something at the snack table as an excuse to get up, and to feed her growling belly. With a sigh, she stood up and made her way back into the crowd.

She squeezed her way into the kitchen, or, what she HOPED was the kitchen, pushing past people, occasionally getting elbowed, but before she got anywhere, a creepy doctor, vampire, and grim reaper cornered her. She couldn't really see their faces in the dim glow of the glow sticks. Eerie shadows were cast on their faces making them scarier than they would be if the lights were on.

"Well…look at this boys." the doctor slurred. She could smell the spiked punch on his breath and she turned her face away, disgusted. "We got ourselves a pretty princess." His friends laughed.

"Leave me alone." Katara said firmly, determined not to appear weak and defenseless knowing it would make her predicament worse. The doctor and his friends laughed again.

"We can't jus' leave a pretty princess like you alone at this scary party in th' dark." he teased, hiccupping slightly. They closed her in further, the vampire and grim reaper effectively blocking her escapes. Her eyes darted over the three, trying to make sure none of them tried anything while she wasn't looking.

"Just let me go, please..." she demanded, panic slowly rising in her voice, knowing she couldn't take three at once, the space around her closing in and squeezing her lungs.

Suddenly, the doctor was shoved out of the way and a warm hand grabbed Katara's wrist, dragging her out of the corner, away from the three boys that had ambushed her. She heard the them yell something at the kid who'd come to her rescue, but the person ignored their comments as though they hadn't heard them.

Katara's chest heaved with gulps of air, trying to calm down as her rescuer dragged her through the crowd and back into the living room. She stumbled blindly after them, wondering if it was Toph who had come to her aid, though that theory quickly evaporated when she saw the short, dark hair in the light of some party goers glow sticks.

The next thing she knew, she was shoved roughly against the wall and a wave of horror washed over her as she realized that she hadn't been saved. He'd just wanted her for himself.

She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for a body to be pressed against her and the smell of spiked punch to fill her mouth.

"Are you alright?" the boy asked, surprising her. She tentatively opened her eyes, her mind frozen making her unable to respond right away.

"Are you alright?" the boy repeated firmly. Katara finally found the sense to nod vigorously.

"Yeah. Thank you." she replied weakly, swallowing. She now saw the boy was dressed like some kind of ninja. He was in all black and had a mask on the lower part of his face, killing her chances of recognizing him. A plastic sword was tucked in his belt.

At her words, she saw the cloth of his face mask shift and she sensed that he was smiling underneath it, happy she was alright, though, she couldn't be totally sure. It was pretty dark.

"No problem, Katara." he said, pulling down his face mask, revealing the rest of his face. Katara grinned as she saw the ninja was Aang. Even in the dim lights, she could tell it was him.

"You're here! I thought Toph was lying!" she exclaimed, embracing him tightly, glad she was no longer alone. He hugged her back and laughed a little, making her blush. She loved his laugh; it was so bubbly.

"Yeah, I know. It's crazy, right?"

"I just never thought I'd find you at a party like this." she explained while trying to inhale his wonderful scent. Discreetly of course.

Aang grinned sheepishly at her when she had finally (and reluctantly) released her hold on him.

"Me neither. Sokka dragged me here." he told her, rolling his eyes, then grinning. Katara melted inside.

"I see." she replied, giggling. Typical of Sokka.

There was a moment of silence in which only the sounds of loud converse could be heard before Aang brought the conversation back.

"So, you having a good time?" he asked. Katara looked at him disbelievingly and he took the hint.

"Yeah, I didn't think so." he finished for her. Katara smiled at him through the semi-darkness.

"I am now though." she said shyly, playing with the sleeve of her blue dress, concentrating on the stars and moons sprinkled on the indigo fabric rather than his face. Aang looked embarrassed, but flattered at her words.

"Glad to be of assistance." he murmured quietly, stepping a tiny bit closer to her, just so it looked like he was shifting his weight. She'd seen it though, and she felt her ears grow hot. It was as if he'd read her mind, for she'd wanted him to do just that.

"You look wonderful. I really like your dress." he commented, looking down at the floor shyly. The warmth that had started at Katara's ears spread to her cheeks and she was glad for the darkness.

"Th-thank you, Aang." she stammered nervously. "I like your ninja costume. You look very…stealthy." She groaned inwardly at the stupid comment. Stealthy? How lame could you get!?

Aang grinned and chuckled a little, making Katara feel all tingly inside and embarrassed at the same time.

"Stealthy?" he asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that was dumb." she said, blushing and laughing.

"Completely corny." he agreed, joining in her laughter.

When they recovered, they caught each other's eye in the dim glow of the room and stayed like that for a minute, just silently staring at each other, unable to look away for some strange, but pleasurable reason. Aang had to ruin it though by looking away, the tips of his ears turning pink.

He needed to ask her. Now.

"Look, Katara, can I ask you something?" he asked quietly, gathering up all his courage. Katara nodded, still thinking about his eyes and how beautiful they'd looked when she'd stared into them. Had they always been so mysterious and gorgeous?

"I've been meaning to ask you for a while now, but…how do you see me?" he asked, a tone of desperation in his voice. Katara snapped to attention at his words and gazed at him, blushing madly. He was looking into her eyes again and she almost couldn't find coherent words to say. This was all so sudden…so random…so perfect…

"W-well, you're my friend, and…I really like you…" she started, afraid to tell him that she had secret feelings for him.

"Yes, but do you see me as…as more than a friend?" he asked nervously. There was a pleading in his eyes, willing her to say yes and she understood.

Instead of answering him however, she cupped his face in her hands with a boldness she didn't know she possessed, guiding his lips slowly to hers. She could feel him shaking in her hold and his warm breath on her face, coming in short gasps as the space between them lessened. She smirked and stopped, right before their lips touched. She was sure the suspense was killing him.

"Does this answer your question?" she asked, her lips brushing his as she spoke, making him shiver. Then, she kissed him. And he kissed her back, pressing his weight onto her, her back against the wall. She felt his hands travel into her silky midnight-brown hair, tangling his fingers in it, pulling her closer to him. She didn't even care he was messing up twenty minutes worth of hair-dressing; all she could think about was him, the feel of his lips and his arms wrapped around her. Her own arms slid around his neck, and one hand tangled in his hair, crushing his lips to hers. Then, it was over.

Katara opened her eyes when she didn't feel Aang's soft lips pressed to hers anymore to find that he was looking at her with shocked eyes as though he couldn't believe what he had done. He swallowed.

"Wow…" was all he managed to say. Katara only nodded in response, finding her lips too numb and tingly to move. She watched as Aang's cheeks flared up in a pink blush and couldn't help but smile a tiny bit in amusement, satisfied that she was the only one who could do that to him.

Suddenly, his mouth was on hers again and she made a little noise beneath his lips before returning his kiss, pressing back.

This kiss was deeper and hotter than the one before, lips pressing harder, bodies pressed closer, tongues sliding over lips…

"You want to get out of here?" he asked, his breath skimming over her ear making her shiver pleasantly.

"Yes, please." she replied, still a little shaken up.

When she had calmed down and her heart had adopted a human pace, she grabbed Aang by the shirt and dragged him out through the crowds of party goers, giggling as he stumbled along to catch up with her.

Once they were outside, the fresh air a wonderful break from the smell of alcohol and Doritos, Katara released Aang and they walked down the front sidewalk, away from the house until the sound of the blasting music was out of earshot.

"Well, that wasn't so bad." Katara concluded, taking Aang's hand in hers and sliding her mask off her face, holding at her side. Aang seemed to jerk out of some sort of trance when her hand came into contact with his, his mind still dazed by the kiss.

He had kissed Katara…

Katara had kissed him…

No matter how many times he thought about it, he still expected to wake up from a dream.

"Huh?" he said dumbly, making Katara laugh.

"I said that the party wasn't so bad after all." she repeated. Aang contemplated this for a minute before seeming to decide on his opinion of the night.

"Yeah, I guess so. I prefer Trick-or-Treating though. More candy. Less tricks. You?" he asked, grinning at her.

"Same here." she replied. Then she gave him a sideways glance, smirking. She stopped walking and he jerked to a stop beside her.

"Although, I did get a pretty good treat tonight…" she said, suggesting what happened at the end of the party. Aang played along, returning her smirk.

"Oh really?" he inquired as she stepped closer to him, arms already sliding around his neck again.

"Really." she told him, her face inches away now. "And you're _way_ better than candy."

She brought their lips together and before her thoughts drifted to nothing but Aang, she made a mental note to thank Toph endlessly for convincing her to come to the party.

**A/N-……..Umm….yay? XDDDDDD**


End file.
